The hunter of her own
by skorge
Summary: A story about the troubled mage Felicia as she carries out her vengence on all other mages. Follow her as she deals out her redemtion on the monsters of magic, her own kind, please R&R. Rated T but might be M just in case.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The hunter

Felicia walked on the seemingly endless imperial highway. Her long black hair tossed wildy in the powerful winds and it momentarily hid the tattoo on her forehead, a single red eye in a glob of fire. In her hand she carried her staff. It was beautifuly crafted in the old tevinter fashion. She glanced down at it. It along with the robes she had discarded once she fled from the tower of magi represented her status a a mage.

She curled her lip in disgust."More like the monster I am, that all mages truly are." She thought. She HATED being a mage, to have this "gift" of the Maker, to be a constant danger and always having to keep the demons away from her mind as she slept. Her time in the tower had been a struggle without an end. The templars were just waiting to gut her she had thought. Her fellow mages had been little comfort. They had taken their magic with acceptance and sometimes even pride.

Felicia snorted."Not after tonight, they won`t." she smirked. She had gotten in plenty of fight over this subjekt and once she had made the declaration that once she had the means she would burn every mage she could find Gregoir had finally taken action. He had locked her away by herself, not counting the single guard he always keep close to her. It was during this time that she had thrown herself into her training and found her natural affinity for the Entrophy school of magic. The spells focused on weakening and affecting a creatures life energy. It had all come so easy to her. She practised the art in her lonely room and almost perfected it with the help of Irving`s occasionl visits.

He was a good man who understood the dangers of magic. Ge had always treated her well enough. If possible she would spare him tonight, as long as he didn`t interfere. Felicia realised that this was unlikely and shrugged a little to herself.

Then she had gotten a new guard. A very young templar who hadn`t been much older than her at the time, and she had been 17. His skills of deflecting magic was not very good she had concluded and began to come up with a plan. She never spoke to him but subtly, slowly and deliberetly fused her spells of weakening into him as he guarded her. When he slept she coused nightmares and horrors in his mind and sapped his energy during the day. This had gone on for about a month before he had been so pale and even grey that he was about to be pulled out of service. Felicia had taken the opportunity to pounce on her guard and take his dagger. With the weapon to his back she had forced him to tell her where the phylacteries where and take here there.

Once they had reached the underground room where they were stored she had happily smashed the flask with her life blood in it and had immediately turned in the man. One fast slice and his throat was open. That night she had fled and her true work could begin.

"The killing of the mages, the monsters." Felicia concluded. The tatto she had recuired in Lothering was a symbol of her vigilant watch for mages to hunt.

Felicia finally walked up a hill and saw her target, the high tower of magi in the middle of lake Calenhad. She allowed herself a feral grin and a chuckle to go with it as she twirled the staff in her and nad walked down to the docks where a boat waited for her to bring damnation to her own kind.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Tower

Felicia strode down the hill toward the small bridge where a single boat sat in the water. A templar guarded it and looked thurougly bored with his task. Felicia closed her long, black cloak around herself and made sure the hood covered most of her face. She hid the staff behind a tree and walked over to the templar.

The templar saw her come and raised a hand."Halt." he barked. She did as asked and stared into is eyes fron under the hood."Whats your intention in the tower of magi young lady?" he asked.

"Business." Felicia replied simply. He arched and eye brow at that."What kind business would that be?" he asked and Felicia stepped up to him, grabbed hold of the collar and waist of his armor and threw him into the water.

"MY busniness." She growled as his armor weighed him down under the surface with paniced wavings of his arms and legs. Felicia retreaved her staff and nonshalantly jumped down into the boat and paddled onward.

She looked up at the tower. Three years had passed sins she escaped and she had spent every day preparing for this moment. She had practised her spells and reflexes to almost perfection, at least in her own mind. She would go in there and rid this counrty of the living plagues inside and then…then she would move on somewhere else.

The templars would hunt her no doubt, despite the fact that she was practicly doing their work for them when she killed the mages she had come across in her time away from the tower. She smiled at the ironi of it. She didn`t care about the templars other than another thing connected to magic and its wielders. If they got in her way she would do what she had too.

The night was dark and quiet, as if holding its breath in anticipation of the events to come very soon. Felicia offered a silent prayer to the Maker and his bride Andraste. She could conect with the holy women who had fought a great war against the power hungry mages of Tevinter. That cause had been right and justified by the chantry, why would hers be different.

The boat came to a sharp stop at the rocky shore and Felicia drew a deep breath while she stood, grabbed the staff and jumped off the boat. She held the gulp of air until she reached the gate where she released it in a sigh. She held her staff up like a spear and aimed it at the gate in a slow, deliberate motion. She allowed her lips to form a smirk, though it was more a baring of teeth than a smile. She mumbled a spell of fire and the flaming sphere flew from her staff and impacted the large wooded gate with a loud explosion and a hail of splinters and chunks of burning wood.

She stood up straight and held the staff in her hand tightly as she moved into the thick cloud of smoke and dust. When she emerged she imagined she was quite the sight for the stunned group of mage pupils and the two templar guards within. She slowly stepped from the dust cloud like a wraith of death in her back cloak and hidden face. She stopped a few feet from the blown gate while the cloud began to vanish. They were all quiet. The five apprentices and their teacher stared with wide eyes. So did the single standing templar while his fellow guard lay prone on the stone floor, dead or unconsiouss Felicia could not say. She rasied her staff and spoke.

"Finaly the day of your clensing as arrived, now die."

Her destiny awaited within this spire of stone and arcane power. Non would keep her away from it, her rightious punishment to deal out.

But her journey, was far from what she would ever expect.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Battle of the Tower

Felicia decided to focus on the lone Templar first. He wore the full set of plate armor his order was known and feared for with the flaming sword on its chest plate. He already held his long sword and shield at the ready. He pointed the weapon at her chest and barked.

"Stand down mage." He shouted. Felicia only gave him a wild grin in return and thrust her staff forward with a spell hissed from her lips. A wide cone of icy coldness washed over the Templar and he was frozen solid in his pose, with the sword still pointed at her accusingly. Felicia snarled and twirled the staff around in her hands once, twice and then smashed the frozen helmet. It shattered under the blow and fell apart in chunks of solid ice gore and metal. By then the pupil mages had fled and only their teacher remained.

He was a man in his late forties and wore a thick bushy beard and curly hair. His mage robe moved rapidly in the wind blowing through the smashed down gate. He raised his hands to stop her with a pleading look in his eye.

"Please stop this, before you do something you will regret." He said in a raspy tone. Felicia only snorted and threw off her cloak to reveal a black leather shirt and leggings. On the chest was the same flaming crimson eye that glared from her forehead. She had had it made for this occasion, though the tailor whom she had paid to do it had no idea of course.

"I have come here to put our wrong to right, to take from the demons of the Fade their precious vessels and to avenge all those who have suffered from our curse. My crusade is just and fair; do not speak to me of any regrets you old fool." Felicia spoke in a grand tone. She had trained and waited for this moment for three years in freedom, and a year before that while still in the circle.

"We have done no harm girl, the mages here do not deserve this." The mage said more firmly. Felicia had not expected them to agree, of course not. This man was just trying to save his own skin no doubt. She bared her teeth at him.

"We _all _deserve death for what we are. Don`t you see? We are a plague, a mistake by the Maker, a jest image of his power." She hissed and before the man could react she cast a spell of horror on the man. The mage`s hands went to his head and held it with white knuckles as the nightmarish images she created in his mind. He fell to his knees, screaming in a high pitched tone for her to stop. Felicia slowly strode toward him, step by step echoing in the hollow room. When she reached him she grabbed his throat and forced him to meet her blazing eyes.

"Feel the effects of you curse on you mind _fool._" She hissed and intensified the spell. He yelled and cried for it to end and then Felicia finally slammed him hard over the head with her staff. The mage fell down in a slowly growing pool of blood that ran from his cracked forehead. Without a second glance Felicia moved on. She saw that the apprentices had closed and locked the second gate as well. She heard them on the other side, no doubt listening to the fate of their mentor. Felicia walked up to the door.

"Do you think that a wooden door will keep me away? From dealing out my just punishment? I will not stop until you are all burned to crisps. You can never flee from me." She shouted through the door and backed away.

Drawing a deep breath she summoned another spell and a bolt of lightning sizzled from her hand. The room was momentarily lit by the energy bolt before it hit the gate with an ear-splitting boom. Unlike the fireball she had used on the first gate the lighting was pin-point and struck the door with little explosion. It shattered it splinters and it shot open, burning at the edges. Inside she saw two bodies on the floor. The apprentice had stood to close to the door and was killed by the energy. The other three fled far back in the hall way, calling desperately for the mages and Templars.

With her grand entry over with Felicia sprinted after them. The smaller rooms along the hallway were meant as the apprentices sleeping quarters, before they took their Harrowing and was moved to the mages room above. The quarters proved empty. Likely they had heard the commotion and fled already.

She was going through the last bed group when she did find someone. Under the last bed lay a little girl hiding. Felicia would have missed her had it not been for a small shuffle as she drew close. She bent down and looked under the bed to find the child. The girl shivered when she met Felicia`s eye and screamed when the older woman pulled her out into the open with a rough hand and feral growl. She sat the child on the bed and glared down at her to get a better look. She seemed to be around maybe ten years old, which meant she had not been there for more than a few years. She had a round face with freckles and blonde hair in a horse tail on. Her eyes were deep blue and very frightened. For some reason Felicia did not strike her down were she stood. It was just something about the girl. Maybe she just wasn`t the monster she thought she was. Felicia snorted at the thought. She had no time for this mage child.

"W-Who are you lady?" the girl asked in a trembling tone.

"I`m Felicia, and you?"

"Ida."

The girl glanced out the door of the room and drew a deep breath and glared up at Felicia with sudden tears in her eyes. "Why did you kill senior enchanter Mervin?" she demanded in as firm a tone as she could. Felicia did not answer her, only looked back down at her. Her fist clanged at her sides and she suddenly pointed at the door. "Get out of here Ida, before you get hurt." She muttered but Ida did not.

"What are you going to do?" the girl asked. Felicia pulled her off the bed and pointed at the door again

"GET OUT." She roared and this time Ida ran. Felicia watched her go and then looked sown. What was that? Why did she not kill the kid? Then she heard heavy footfalls on the floor above her and she grimaced before running deeper into the tower. When she reached the next chamber she found three Templars waiting for her. They did not expect her to come just yet it seemed because their defenses were down, both material and magical.

Felicia reacted quickly. She threw a spell of weakness on them and was satisfied when they sank to their knees and the shoulders slumped. They were too weak to carry their weapons and the armor that covered them. They soon collapsed to the floor, trapped in their iron plate prisons, panting and groaning. The scene was almost funny and Felicia wanted to giggle, but didn`t. Her giggling and laughing days were over. With a loud shout she summoned a firestorm that swirled around the room, cooking the Templars in their armor. They all screamed in pain and terror. She only stopped the spell when she saw smoke coming from the gaps in their armor and eye slits.

Once the spell was gone Felicia stopped to think. This was too easy. Why didn`t all the Templars come to meet her? Sure the attack had only just started but this? She would need to keep her guard up as she advanced.

The next room was the library. It was abandoned except for two mages who had apparently decided to stay and wait for her. One was a slightly older man and the other a young woman around her own age. They both held staves.

"Die you bitch." The woman hissed and threw a rock fist at her. Felicia jumped aside, barely avoiding the rock and threw an energy bolt in return. Just as the arcane globe was about to hit however, it shattered against a magic shield that flared up where the bolt hit. Felicia glanced at the other mage who had cast the defense spell around the woman.

"Protecting each other huh?" Felicia hissed and slammed the end of her staff into the floor. It shook violently with an earthquake spell and both mages fell down to the stone floor. Books and papers flew from their places on the shelves and filled the air and floor, Tables and paintings fell down shortly after. Before the two mages could regain their feet, Felicia was upon them. The man`s throat was crushed by the head of the staff as she slammed it down upon him and the woman, who sat on her knees, received a knee in the face that broke her nose and caused a pair of teeth to fly out of her open mouth. The woman`s life was ended when Felicia reached down, grabbed her head and jerked hard to the side in an unnatural angle.

Felicia stood up straight. Five dead Templars and an equal number of mages, it was a start at least. She knew she still had a much greater number waiting for her further in and thought about something that might help even the odds. She grinned when she came up with the answer and ran back the way she had come.

Felicia stopped at the three dead and burned Templars and began to hum a spell. An aura og power filled and surrounded both her and the bodies. The air crackled and then one knight moved its arm slowly. Then its leg and other limbs moved in twitchy, jerky motions. All the Templars did this until they suddenly rose up and stood in an unsteady line in front of Felicia. They all held their sword and groaned dimly as they stared forward with dead, unmoving eyes.

"Seems I got reinforcements." Felicia smirked once her walking dead spell was done. She moved back to the gate and resurrected the two Templars there as well. She left the dead mages where they lay. She would never fight with mages on her side, dead or alive.

She and her bodyguard of five undead Templars moved back to the library and to the stairs and door that would lead to the next floor.

"Break it down." She commanded. One of them moved up the stair and began to slam and kick at the door. After a while there was a crack and the door flew off its hinges.

"Charge, kill, attack." Felicia roared and her Templars went inside with raised swords. She followed shortly after and found herself in a vicious melee between her own undead Templars and a mix if mages and still living Templars. She saw a mage gutted on the edge of a sword, a Templar`s head sailing through the air and one of her undead fall with sparks of lightning sizzling through his armor. One Templar pulled the helmet off of an undead and jumped back when she saw the horribly burned and misshapen head under it. Felicia took the chance and burned the woman with a fireball that also consumed two mages. She held her position by the door and there fire, lightning and energy around the room.

The room itself was not very large so it was easy to find and hit targets. The walls were lined with more books and in the center stood a pedestal with a single book on it. The battle filled her system with rage and bloodlust. Every spell she saw cast only ensured her more of the power that needed to be stopped and cleansed from the face of Thedas. The very last mage was turned to a stone statue by Felicia and she took a look around the chamber. All her undead were dead once more. With them lay six new dead Templars along with ten mages.

Felicia considered her next move and decided on raising the Templars again. Keeping them up and fighting required part of her energy so she would not be able to use her magic as effectively but she decided that she needed the numbers. Now she had eleven undead templars at her command. She dared not use any more energy or she would be defenseless.

She and her little company moved onward.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Reflection

By now Felicia and her undead soldiers had almost reached the middle of the Tower. They had encountered a decreasing number of mages in the fights and she assumed that they had been moved higher up, leaving the issue of her and her minions for the Templars to deal with. The knights had ambushed, fought and retreated around every turn and corner. It was wearing down on Felicia`s patience that these fools dared to stand between her and her true prey.

She was currently standing in a large, open room. It contained storage areas that she remembered had been used as a stockroom and had been manned by the tranquil. These mages had had their connection to the Fade, and there for also their magic, severed. Felicia had no idea how the process was done but she had seen it as the only sensible way to deal with mages, or at least follow the Qunari´s example and leash the whole lot of them, tongues cut out and all.

The Templars had sealed the two doors leading out of the room so she decided to take the chance and draw a few breaths. She stationed her undead Templars at the doors and looked around the storage area. There were dozens of boxes and crates stocked in orderly rows. There were racks which held staves for the new mages, along with the robes and signature rings that went with the "honor". She saw other things like Rods of Fire and other magical tools spread on the ground, evidence that they had been dropped to the floor when they had heard of her attack.

Her foot hit a hard, round object and she looked down. It was a silver locket that shone almost white in the dim moonlight that came through the window. Bending down she picked the piece up and slowly opened it…and almost choked on a breath. Inside was the image of a young woman, roughly the same age as herself. She had short, brown hair and dull blue eyes. Her skin was extremely pale, almost sickly so. She wore the robes of a tranquil stockroom manager. Her face held no emotion at all. Felicia knew this woman.

Her name was Eva. She had been a mage here along with Felicia and had been the first and only one to come up to the little frightened girl that was the newly arrived Felicia, take her tiny hand and squeeze it. Eva had sat down next to Felicia and even though the future murderer had only hissed and snapped her answers at the other girl`s questions, she never stopped smiling and eventually held Felicia close. Felicia had stopped hissing then and sobbed instead. They talked about their background. Felicia spoke about her life as the young daughter of a tailor mother and sailor father, not a very remarkable story really. She was much more intrigued about Eva`s story about how both her parents and older brother were part of the royal army, members of Teyrn Loghain`s special unit called Maric`s Shield.

The two girls had been friends for years to come and shared only each other's company. Once they reached their teens the inevitable whispers of them being a couple came but they didn`t care. The rumors were false to be sure but they still kept close.

Eva had defended Felicia from the other apprentices, especially the slightly older girl who bragged about their…lone time with the guys right under the Templars noses. That topic always made Felicia blush furiously and when one spotted the pink cheeks they immediately jumped on the chance to tease, asked if she had ever wanted to…take a riding lesson for herself. She never answered them and they giggled. Eve were always there to drive them off and when Felicia looked up from the corner where she sat with her legs pulled up as if to hide, she had seen her friend in the light of the window and seen her as if she was a hero of old.

Then one day one girl went to far for Eva`s tastes. The brat had the gall to giggle in Felicia`s face, tell her that no one, girl or guy, would ever take her even if she begged for it, making a tiny tear appear in Felicia`s eye.. It seemed the hot blood of soldiers flowed in Eva after all as she ran forward and tackled the girl to the floor, striking at her face and yelling at her if any boy would want her after she had pummeled the girl´s face into a bloody, snotty smear. The Templars had interfered and brought Eva away. Felicia had begged them to take her instead, that the fight was because of her. They had not listened or even answered.

A few hours later Felicia had been allowed to meet Eva. They had meet in a tiny room occupied only by a table and two chairs. The stone wall had only been lit by a pair of lanterns. When Felicia entered and closed the door she found Eva sitting at the table, her eyes empty.

"Are you okay? I never meant for you to get in trouble, Eva." Felicia had said with a shamed look.

"I am fine, no need to apologize." Eva had said evenly. Felicia noticed a tattoo on her friend`s forehead. It was the blazing sword of the Chantry. She knew exactly what that meant.

"Oh Maker, they didn`t…" Felicia choked on her words.

"They did, I am tranquil now, at peace."

"But…why?"

"I acted wrongly; I showed that I was out of control. If I were allowed to complete by training, the demons would find me easy prey for sure." Eva said. Felicia felt hot tears run down her cheeks. She ran forward, grabbed Eva`s hands and pulled her out of the chair before hugging her close. She had never hugged anyone sins she had arrived, not even her parents when they left her here. Now she held on tight.

"This is a mistake, you tried to protect me, this is _wrong_." Felicia cried. Eva slowly pulled away.

"I have to get back to work now, Come to the stockroom if you want to talk about items you need." She said and left the room as if nothing had happened. Felicia fell to her knees, and screamed her pain.

Shortly after, her arguments of anti-magic had come. She no longer avoided the other mages, they avoided her. Her dark eyes and animalistic snarl turned everyone away, except First Enchanter Irving. He always talked with her if he felt like doing so and she responded, although only briefly at first. They talked about magic in general, about its uses and downsides, about the different schools and how magic should be treated. Felicia had studied the Qun and found herself agreeing with their treatment of her kind.

They had also found Felicia`s skills with Entropy spells. She found it easy to reach inside someone and go through their life force and minds. This was a delicate and dangerous path and Irving handled it carefully due to Felicia`s current state.

A senior mage named Wynne had been her mentor for a few years and they had been good. Felicia could focus on her training and had little interaction with the other young mages, She met Eva a few times but never spoke with her only friend, or former friend maybe sins the tranquil woman`s every feeling of friendship was long gone now. Felicia`s demeanor remained quiet and depressed. She argued with the other apprentices often and one day it went overboard. A young man had stood with a friend and talked about how they had finished a test in fire magic, boasting shamelessly.

"You feel proud do you? Like you have accomplished something great?" Felicia had snorted and walked up to them.

"What's it to you?" he had asked with a grimace of annoyance.

"You have accomplished nothing more than making yourself a greater threat to your fellow man. You will go to the demons and beg for their power and before you know it you will kill these mages and countless others with no remorse." Felicia had spat.

"Demons? Why would I do that?"

"Because all mages with a choice will, you want nothing but power, and by the Maker when that happens I will burn you all to ashes." Felicia has stepped up and growled like a dog in his face.

"But you're a mage too." The boy had said and backed away. Felicia had grimaced

"Yes, and I would take my own life as well…" She grabbed the collar of his robe and glared into his eyes." …If not for the need to rid this place of abominations like you first."

This had been enough for the Templars to separate her from the other permanently. She was given her own room with a bed, a single window and a table. It had books on history and magic but not much else. They placed a candle of the table for her. They also made sure to keep a Templar outside her door at all times. Both Irving and Wynne came by to chat with her on occasion but never Knight-commander Greagoir. Felicia knew he had ordered the Templars to make Eva tranquil. She never responded to him.

She threw herself into her training and became adept at it quickly. For a year she sat here, alone. Her only company being the two older mages and her own thoughts. Due to getting even less sunlight than most mages she grew to be white pale in her skin. She also spent time on whatever physical exercises she could in there so she was far more fit than what you would expect from someone who was a prisoner in all but name.

She was seventeen now and just a few days after her birthday she got a new guard. He was young and had a handsome face. Out of curiosity Felicia tested his magical barrier in a feather light spell as to not be detected. She found that it was not very strong and was intrigued. The man must be a new recruit. He was only a year or so older than her with a boyish face. No doubt his superiors had placed him here as it was considered an easy post, perfect for trainees.

"_Or maybe not so perfect, at least for him_." Felicia thought with a smirk. Maybe here was her way out of this cell. As with her previous guard she never spoke with him at all. Instead she sat on her bed, read a book or ate her food, all the while mumbling soft spells of draining and weakness that she left flow into the Templar`s subconscious. His unfinished training made so that he did not detects the intruder in his mind. This went on for almost a month but if the cell had taught her anything it was patience. Once four weeks had passed the man was pale, almost grey. He stood with slouching shoulders and a waving stance, as if sleepy. His once bright blue eyes were now dull and dim.

The plan seemed to work fine. Felicia would weaken the guard to the point where he would fall down. His fellows would either assume that he was sick or they would detect the magic on him. In either case she would have already taken the chance to flee this accursed tower.

Then she heard the man talk with an older sounding Templar who told him that he was being pulled out of service until he recovered from this illness. The young guard had been too weak to even argue and just nodded before walking off.

Felicia had paniced, her plan was about to come to an end, either for good or bad. The older Templar had left before the slow moving younger guard and behind him Felicia used a small flick of lightning of the lock. It popped open with a click and a sizzle. She had then slowly pushed the door open for the first time in a year and looked around. She saw no one besides the leaving guard so she ran after him. The man got no warning before she grabbed his arm in one hand and pulled his dagger out with the other. Her own strength was too much for the Templar and he could o nothing as she wrapped one arm around his neck and squeezed hard. He tried to scream but the dagger slipped into the armor above the collar and into the man`s neck. Pure desperation drew her now and Felicia didn`t even stop to consider the fact that she had just committed murder. Instead she bent down and fished out the man`s keys.

She then dragged the body into her room, hid it under the bed and locked the door. She knew someone would notice sooner or later so she snuck away. Her black hair was much longer now than when she was locked up so she managed to not been seen to closely by letting it hang over her eyes. She made her way downward, ever down where she knew the main gate to be. A few Templars and mages gave her looks but none stopped her. She stopped when she was about to entered the hall where the gate was. Looking around the corner she saw that it was empty save the two Templar guards by the gate.

She drew a deep breath. This was it. This was her goal, to escape and flee, to get a fighting chance against mages everywhere. There filth needed to be washed away once and for all. She wouldn`t let two incompetent Templars and a chunk of wood stop her.

She began to mumble the spell that would save her from this place, to let her go about her work of justice. It was a mumble at first, then a whisper and then a chant. Soon she entered the room, screaming her spell of fire and the ensuing inferno engulfed the two guards and the door in an explosion. Outside was dark, star filled night. It was beautiful. Felicia listened to the waves of Lake Calenhad outside but was distracted when she heard the shouting of people far back in the tower. She ran out the gates, tasted the cold night air, and laughed madly as she ran to a boat.

Felicia shook her head and lay the image of Eva back on the floor and glanced at the two locked door.

"Let's see those brats giggle now." She growled and stood.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Unexpected Twist

The sealed door at the right side of the stocking room led to the sleeping quarters of the mages. It was also the only one of the two doors that wasn't sealed by magic as well. Felicia glanced back at the shimmering blue barrier that covered the entrance to the other hall with a curled lip. She then ordered her undead followers away and backed off a few steps. Raising her staff she drew a deep breath, and unleashed a bolt of lightning at the unprotected door. The wood split open with a crack and flying splinters. With a sharp nod she had her Templars rush in only to be cut down by a fiery inferno that sent them all to the floor. A trap, Felicia had seen the fire shoot out from small holes in the door frame.

"Damn it." She cursed and once the flames died down, and throwing in a chunk of the destroyed door over the floor to watch for more traps, ran in herself and made sure to sidestep the smoking bodies, some of which had been burned to death several times now. Inside was the study room for mages. It looked much like the library below but smaller and with more lights. It was here that she had learned about her magic, about The Qun and of the bloody history of her kind, or rather the bloody history that her kind had created in Thedas. She didn`t get much time to examine the room for inside waited a single mage and a single Templar, sentries probably. Felica could have growled when she saw them, for she recognized both.

The Templar was her former guard, before the young man who had made her escape possible. This one was older and more experienced. His helmet was off so she saw that he had kept the same fuzzy, red beard as before. Sins she had never spoke more than a few words with the man she hadn`t really had the chance to form a real impression of him. The mage however, she knew all too well. She had long blonder hair and a nose most noble ladies would have wished for She bared her teeth as she watched the slightly older woman who had made her life hell in her younger years. It was she who had teased her, made Eva stand up for her on many occasions until finally it made her only friend tranquil, because of them both Eva had had her mind and free-will taken from her.

"_And we will both pay for that my friend, both her and I will repay you_." She thought and then added." _But she will pay far more_. " Felicia glared at the woman with such hate in her eyes that it made the mage step back. Felicia followed her step by step, ignoring the Templar.

"I…I know you." The woman stammered.

"I see you still remember me Hannah, good, I would hate to have to remind you of how you made two young girls suffer, to have taken everything from them both. How you made Eva tranquil for standing up for her friend, how you treated that friend like a piece of crap under your shoe." She said and leapt forward. The Templar had no time to react before he found himself on the floor with a bleeding nose where Felicia`s staff had whipped him. Felicia then grabbed Hannah by the collar and shoved her against the wall, not so accidently slamming the back of her head against the stone. Felicia leaned in close and whispered.

"I will still thank you though. You gave me the mindset I needed to do all this." She nodded towards the burning remains of her undead Templars. "Congratulations, you created one hell of a bitch."

Hannah whimpered in response but before she could say something she found her air pipe closed off by Felicia`s iron fingers. Hannah tried to plead but chocked on the words. Felicia`s face was a mask of fury as she squeezed the life from her former tormentor. Hannah sank slowly to the floor as her legs became too weak to hold her up and Felicia followed her down. The grip tightened until finally the woman`s muscles tensed, and then relaxed one last time. The body fell limp to the floor and Felicia crouched down next to it and hissed

"That was for Eva, far better than you deserve, and far less than what I would have done but I am short on time." She stood and after giving the head a firm kick walked over to the Templar. She man sat up, holding his bleeding nose and watching her as she approached. Felicia stared down at him, the glow of a high window giving her a dark frame. He was preparing to meet the same fate as Hannah when Felicia instead held out the end of her staff for him to grab. He only did so after giving her a puzzled look.

"Get out of here Templar, this fight doesn't concern you anymore." Felicia said in an icy voice. He only stared at her in return. Then his eyes flickered to his sword which lay on the floor by his feet.

"You sure you want to try that?" Felicia smirked, amused. The Templar glanced between her and the weapon before slowly backing away through the door from which she had come. Felicia gave him a sharp nod before turning her back to him. She went back to exploring the room. It was like she remembered.

Besides the mages quarters you could also find a small chantry room for the priests. It was filled with rows of seats and of course the statue of Andraste against the far wall, behind the pedestal where the chanter would stand doing his sermon. She found no opposition here. By now the mages should have managed to gather in the upper levels and cleared these ones out. Finding little more of interest Felicia returned from where she had come, picked up a few flasks of mana boosters from the stockroom and entered the large stockroom again and marched over to the door with the magical barricade. This would be trickier.

She raised her staff and pointed it at the door. Mumbling she chanted out a spell and a white light bond former between the barrier and the tip of her staff. It began to drain the barrier of energy. This took a toll on Felicia who found herself in a power struggle with whatever mage held the shimmering wall in place. Her eyelids flickered and her cheek twitched while she fought on. A drop of sweat formed at her brow when she pushed harder. The opposite force only intensified, indicating that more mages had added their strength to the spell. Now Felicia sweated quite a bit and eventually she broke the spell with a frustrated growl. They were too strong. She breathed deeply from the exertion of maintaining the draining spell and backed away to rest. The fighting had taken its toll on her and she was exhausted. She was about to drink a flask of mana booster she had found here in the stockroom when the barrier vanished fight before the door flew open.

Out came a dozen Templars and three senior mages. Her mind recognized First Enchanter Irving and Wynne among the three mages. The Templars surrounded her before she could raise her staff. Not that there was much she could do, she was weak from the battle and they were far too many. Felicia found herself in a circle of iron as the Templars surrounded her with draw swords. Irving and Wynne stepped through the ring and walked up to her. Irving`s face was a neutral mask while Wynne`s had tears when she saw that it was indeed Felicia.

"Child, what have you done?" Irving rasped. Felicia squared her shoulders unapologetically.

"I have done as I swore to do. We are all abominations, with or without a demon in our heads." She snapped and the tear in Wynne`s eye finally fell. The old lady walked up to Felicia, her eyes much harder now.

"There is no excuse for this…murdering." She pointed to the body of Hannah. Felicia followed the finger and snorted.

"I did not expect you to see the truth Wynne, you always saw the good in people, even me." Felicia looked down for a second but then glared back up with new iron in her tine.

"You were wrong Wynne; there are no good in me, or any mage. I see those bodies and I laugh, I don`t make excuses for that. Do what you want with me but know that I almost succeeded in my just cleansing." She said and threw down her staff. Two Templars were about to cease her arms but then something unexpected happened. Felicia seemed to gain new energy and she raised her head and roared out a spell. A firestorm exploded out from her and enveloped the Templars. The only thing that kept Wynne and Irving safe was that the last mage had had the foresight to place magic barriers around them before they had entered.

Felicia turned and ran. She ran away from the room, through the door and down the stairs. She sped past the library and out the destroyed main gate. Outside she ran down to the shore where her boat lay. She had started to stumble now from the tired body and only managed to stay up through sheer luck and a good amount of will power. She came to a sharp stop that almost sent her tumbling forward when she saw two people at the boat already. It was the Templar she had just spared and Ida, the little girl she had found in the apprentice quarters. Ida already st in the boat which rocked in the slow waves while the Templar undid the knots on the rope that kept the boat by the shore. She walked up to them

"What do you think you're doing with my boat?" she hissed and pushed the Templar aside.

"Getting out of here, with you." Ida said, as if nothing was more natural. Felicia could only cock her head before she heard shouting from the gate of the tower.

"Get in then." She said and tossed the heavily armored Templar like a rag doll into the little vessel and then jumped in herself, undid the ropes and paddled like crazy from the rocky shore with the Templars help.

Once they were halfway out in the lake Felicia huffed to herself.

"_Well, this endeavor had an unexpected twist ending_."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Plans for the future

**Authors`s note: Shoutout goes of course first and foremost to Erynnar, you seem to be among the three or so people who might be reading this. Thank you so much for that. Shoutout also goes to Wyvrengirl of course:) Sorry this chapter is a little short, its mostly meant to give a basic idea of their plans.**

It was quiet in the little boat as they approached the shore, leaving the tower behind. Glancing back Felicia saw that the place was stirring like a beehive, with every window lit from the inside and shouts from the blown open gate. She grimaced to herself.

"_I failed."_ Was all she could think to herself. Her grand plan of eradicating the mages here was over. No, she must not think that way. She still had a chance, but how? They would send their Templars after her now and where was she even supposed to go? She glanced at the two others in the boat. The little mage girl named Ida sat in the other end of the boat, her arms hugging her sides tightly against the cold night air. Her short blonde hair waved wildly in the wind, as did Felicia`s black one. The girl`s dark blue eyes watched the tower with a deep intensity but of what kind Felicia was not certain. Was it hostility or longing? The younglings robe was an icy blue, the robes of the children in the circle who had not yet become apprentices. This meant that Ida probably knew little of magic and even less about how to use it. Not a danger quite yet then.

Her gaze switched to the Templar in the middle of the boat, rowing with slow grace. The man had taken his helmet off, setting it down between his feet. His red hair and beard trembled in the breeze and his eyes remained locked on the vessel`s bottom, hiding his face in a deep shadow. He had not said a word, except for when he told Ida to keep a firm hold on the boat`s edge shortly after they left the shore and he noted the wavy water. He wore his Templar armor still, the holy blade of the chantry marking the chest plate and his actual sword at the bottom next to his helmet. Why these two were coming with her now she had no idea. She could understand that they might wish to get away from the tower, at least Ida who might have just recently been separated from her family. But the man? Why? And why did they choose to go in the same boat as her, the dangerous murderer? They could have just taken the boat as soon as they reached it and gone on their way but instead they had waited for her. It made no sense to Felicia.

She returned to her inner thoughts as she instead set her eyes on the moving sheet of black water beneath them. It was easy to imagine one of those rumored monstrous fishes coming up from the impenetrable shadows to swallow the little boat and its defenseless crew whole; Felicia couldn`t help but to hug her sides and grip her staff a little tighter at the thought.

No boats set ou after them though and they reached the other shore without incident. Once there the Templar helped Felicia drag the boat further up and leave it in a cluster of bushes. They then stopped and stared at each other. What now? They all thought. What should they do now when they had managed an escape?

"Who are you?" Felicia asked

"Names Alaric, ser Alaric if you're feeling formal, and you are Felicia are you not?" he replied  
>"Indeed I am."<p>

"You have changed quite a bit from that teenager I guarded so long ago." He glanced back at the tower."…Or maybe not."

Felicia grimaced and looked away from the sight. She glanced all around and was glad to see that no one on this side had at least noticed the commotion in the tower. The tavern The Spoiled Princess was still dark and empty.

"I need to move, as do you I bet." She said and turned to walk up the slope and onto the imperial highway. She found herself stopped by a tug at her sleeve however and found Ida at her side, looking up at her.

"I will come with you, I don`t want to be alone out here. Please."

"Why would you want to go with me? You`ve seen what I do."

"You didn`t do it to me."

Felicia met the girl`s eyes and sighed. They were full of fright of the unknown in the outside world, but none for her. There were also boldness hidden deeper into that gaze but it was barely visible. That shred of bravery though, reminded her so much of how Eva used to look at her.

"Fine then. And you ser Templar? Why did you leave instead of just cutting me down or arrest me?" she turned her eyes to the Templar behind her.

"I have wanted to leave that tower, and this accursed order, for a long time. I took the opportunity." Alaric said but his eyes flickered away. There were more to these two than met the eye, of that Felicia was certain. She shrugged

"Come then, we cannot delay any longer here." She said and sent them both an icy look

"But know this, Ida and Alaric, you will see things that you might not approve or agree with if you travel with me, as you have already seen." She pointed back to the tower

"But it is my destiny to do this, and you will not stand in my way, understand?" she said in a low and dangerous tone. The question was mostly directed to Alaric but Ida had to be taken into consideration as well, she was just as much a mage as Felicia or any of the fools she had just slain. They both nodded in understanding.

"Fine then, let's go." She said and continued up the slope. She led them along the path that would take them out on the highway and only stopped to retrieve a hidden cache of supplies which Felicia had hidden there prior to her raid, which she now as planned came and packed with her now that it was done, though with different results than she had hoped. There was a single tent large enough for two people if the managed to squeeze into it, three water skins which was full already, some bread and cheese to go with it. There were also a cooking pot and the things needed to clean it. All this needed to be carried and now she at least had a good reason to feel glad that these two had come with her. They divided the equipment and food between them and hefted it all before leaving. Alaric had been forced to leave his armor behind, both to ease his burden of carrying and of course so no one would detect him. He was no longer a Templar after all, not after tonight. His sword he held on to stoically and Felicia had no complaints, two fighters were better than one.

Which led her to the girl. She had no magic training so she was no danger to neither Felicia, or any highwaymen they might run into for that matter, but she was still in danger of demonic possession, even more so without that training to guard herself from them, at least the mages knew how to do that.

"_At least the few who doesn't willingly give in to them_." She snorted to herself. She heard them all the time, whispering to her to let them help her achieve her goals. They spoke golden promises to her, which she always turned down. She held the monsters away from her mind with the same coldness she performed her grisly work. Would Ida be the same? Only time would tell. But if she did, Felicia would not hesitate to do what she had to.

"So why did you get that?"

She jumped a little when she heard the soft, high-pitched voice to her left and glanced down to see Ida staring up at her tattoo.

"It's a symbol girl, for my everlasting vigilance against all mages and the danger they pose.

"All mages? Why all mages?"

"Because they all eventually become a danger to everyone else; they have power that was not meant for humanity. Only the gods should have this "gift". No doubt they ancient gods of Tevinter made a mistake by sharing their power with their worshippers.:" she tried to keep her anger under control as she spoke. "I could go one about the dangers of magic but all I say is this; mages are a disease upon the face of Thedas, and I am the cure." She said and was then silent, keeping her lips in a tight, white line. Ida only stared up at her with eyes that did not quite understand.

"Oh…" she breathed.

They spoke little after that, so far neither had even dared asked their brooding guide where she was leading them. In truth, she had no clear idea herself. She had assumed that after a, hopefully, successful raid she would have all the time she would need to come up with a plan for her next destination. But now, with Templars on her heels, she was not quite as sure of that. She could not risk staying here that's for sure, maybe not even Ferelden. She thought of her options. She had always desired to leave her homeland behind, maybe go to the qunari lands, if nothing else then just because of finding more mages to hunt. She had gathered up a neat pile of sovereigns over the years, most stolen from dead mages or the occasional reward from the chantry whenever they had offered payment to the commoner for killing or at least bring in escaped apostates or other criminals. 50 gold coins all in all. It would be enough to ship herself almost anywhere in Thedes, but with two extra passengers? She might get as far as Antiva at least. From there she could continue either travele on land through the Imperium or go through Rivain and get a ship to take her to Seheron.

She had greedily read every text on qunari culture, history and traditions she could get her hands on and she was very aware of their treatment of mages. They chained them and kept them on leashes; a problem perhaps, but only if she were discovered. Besides, the qunari islands were the only place in Thedas where the Templars would not be able to take her back from. The horned giant did not admit the chantry`s authority and so did not obey their laws of handing all mages to the Templars. Yes it was a good goal.

She could not know how this plan would affect her new companions however. Ida reacted with fear when she heard of the qunari`s ways of handling mages, but Felicia assured her that she would help her conceal her magic. Alaric was less resistant. He knew just as well as Felicia that the qunari laws would protect him from the Templars wrath as much as they would her.

"My only concern!" Alaric said." Is why are we going to Seheron? From what I have heard it is a battlefield. Tevinter legions and qunari warrior battle for the island constantly."

Felicia grinned. "I know." She said. She knew that tevinters brought their mages as commanders into battle, and let them even occupy all the major seats of government. It was the perfect hunting ground. There is no easier prey than one that is put on a pedestal after all. Alaric met her gaze for a moment and then nodded. "Alright then, we have a goal it seems." He said and gave Ida a reassuring pat on her shoulder and let his hand rest there. The girl had likely not understood al they had meant but nodded, the adventurous courage Felicia had seen before creeping back into her blue eyes.

Felicia looked them both over and smiled, at least the most reassuring smile she could muster considering the fact that such expressions were unusual on her lips these days. She focused on Ida.

"And it seems I will have to teach you some basic magic as well, if you hope to be able to hide it well." She said and Ida`s eye widened with surprise and maybe even happiness, yet another things Felicia did not quite grasp.


End file.
